The Perfect Run

Genome parties were always fun, but the aftermath sucked.

When he returned home to Jamie’s place, Ryan found it in ruins. The floor had been buried underneath beer bottles, pizza boxes, trash, and stuff best left forgotten. Someone had drenched the sofa in a suspicious fluid, and while DJ Brain had survived the apocalypse, a partygoer drew a smiley face on the vat’s surface. Even with repeated time-stop, it was a struggle to clean up the mess.

Ryan was still working on it by the evening.

“Faster, slave!” Ryan’s cruel taskmaster, Lanka, sat on a chair while he cleaned up the sofa with a mop. Ki-jung’s rats looked at the both of them, like viewers watching a comedy movie. “I want to see this sofa shine enough to sit my ass upon.”

“Do you want me to clean your royal butt too while I’m at it, Your Majesty?” Ryan deadpanned.

“No, thank you, I already did my part,” she replied. “You’re the one who skipped town all morning.”

“You’re just mad I was invited to the big guys’ table,” he mocked her back, before hearing his cellphone bleep in his pocket. He took a break from his dirty work to check a message from Jasmine.

JasLove: How do you want your armor?

Ryan started typing his answer.

PlushieTamer: Have you played Fallout?

JasLove: Fallout 1, Fallout 2, Tactics, or Van Buren?

PlushieTamer: You didn’t mention Brotherhood of Steel.

JasLove: That game never existed, and I’ll kill anyone who says otherwise.

PlushieTamer: Good answer. Fallout 2, America for the Enclave.

JasLove: Figured. You’re going to look great killing muties.

PlushieTamer: You and I, and my big plasma cannon...

JasLove: Keep it loaded. Might give it a good polish if you behave.

“You’re texting your girlfriend during work, Blabbermouth?” Lanka said while looking over his shoulder, grinning upon seeing the sender. “Wait, wait, wait, it’s Vulcan’s number!”

“Jealous?” Ryan asked before putting the cellphone in his pocket.

“I’m glad you didn’t commit suicide by going after Livia, but Vulcan? Mad respect. She’s totally going to shoot you one day, but your bravery shall be remembered.”

Technically, she already did shoot him. “Well, I had to work for both of us, since you couldn’t get a date.”

Lanka grinned, sipping a beer. “Where do you think these fluids came from?”

Ryan looked at the sofa, then at the mop, and finally at Lanka, whose grin grew wider. “You know what, I paid my debt to society,” he said, tossing the mop at his flatmate’s face. “Clean your mess yourself.”

“Hey, you lazy ass, get back here!” she complained, trying to get the sticky mop off her face.

Ryan ignored her, moving towards the stereo to unplug his brain in a jar. Ki-jung’s rats left for the kitchen and trailed a towel back to the sofa with their mouths, intending to clean it up themselves. Their mistress was still holed up in her room with her boyfriend, but she might emerge from their lair sometime soon.

Jamie hadn’t believed he had been promoted at first until Livia herself called him to confirm it. After a moment of silence, the swordsman had retired to his room with Ki-jung to ‘discuss’ it, but they had been alone for three hours by now. Ryan was pretty sure there wasn’t a lot of talking involved in this private celebration.

When Jamie and Ki-jung returned to the living room, the rats had cleaned the sofa enough for Lanka to slouch on it. The couple was so close they were almost touching, and Chitter had recovered from yesterday’s breakdown. In fact, she looked so happy that Ryan thought she might ascend to heaven on the spot.

“Something big happened,” the courier said, as he separated the loudspeakers from the brain in a jar. “I can tell.”

“What’s up?” Lanka asked with an eyebrow raised. “Besides changing your names to Mr. and Miss Mercury?”

Ki-jung exchanged a glance with her man, who nodded slowly. “Jamie finally proposed,” she told Lanka, giddy with joy.

Her friend blinked. “No way!”

rats clapped with

Lanka asked Ki-jung a stupid

“I

first time since Ryan met her, the ex-marauder

with a warm smile, though it wavered a little. “Felix would have been

life to him. If he hadn’t raised me up, I

you boss now,” Lanka said with a wide grin. “If anyone deserves that job, it’s

torn between joy, pride, and anxiety. He looked so adorable when unsure of himself. “Me, a street rat, ascending to the rank of an

swordsman. “It’s like

suppose,” Jamie replied, though he clearly had a long way to go. “Still, it’s so big… beyond all the responsibilities and sitting at the Olympians’ table, I will have

to invest

replied, his voice brimming with passion. “Dynamis keeps a tight grip on sports with their Dynacup, but the slums have so many talented people.

detox centers, hospitals…” Ki-jung looked at Ryan. “Even rebuild that orphanage

should start with all of Rust Town.” Ryan shrugged. “That place is the most miserable I’ve seen, and

take his suggestion to heart. “That’s not a bad

she replied, before glancing at Ryan. “You have seen

gave the question some

he used funds to create orphanages or charities. Neptune and Livia seemed more interested in developing the family’s empire, and

Bacchus however...

they would be open to the idea,” Ryan admitted, with a caveat. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with the

a silent glance.

Ryan replied, a

News traveled fast. “But be careful around her. She’s the apple of

got to him first,” Lanka said, laughing when

in the

between you two,” Ki-jung smiled warmly. “The

Jamie declared, warmly putting a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “I don’t know if it will last, but

carrying his brain in a jar to the garage. When

If Lanka had used his backseat for her vile, sticky deed, the time-traveler might have gone on a

in its place. He opened the door and sat at the driver’s seat, putting on

a

“Hi, Riri.”

was closed, and

me. I don’t bother

confirm it.” He had to ask since it was unlike her to make the first move. “We haven’t

umm…” She stopped, not sure what to say.

spare her further embarrassment. “How are the

place, but they love it. We… we played games. Board games.” She marked a short

“Are you inviting me?”

“I… maybe.”

forward. Maybe their friendship wasn’t wrecked beyond repair, or the

Len changed the subject, “I think you should know. I followed

put his hands on the wheel.

thought I should tell you first. Riri, is this true what I heard on the news? You attacked Dynamis with

suits,” Ryan replied, putting his hands on the warm, soft cashmere sleeves. “It was a date, sort

didn’t answer. The line turned into static, with Ryan wondering if she was shocked, sad, or

better than the others.” Another

voice

“Does she know?”

didn’t tell her.” He glanced out of the window, and at

hesitate to stand against the Augusti to achieve his Perfect Run. Though she didn’t seem loyal to Augustus, Vulcan also had a fiery temper, enough to try murdering the courier in a previous loop. In spite of his best

all his relationships ended up undone at the end of a loop.

clearing her throat. “But maybe not

up in

she said, before asking him questions. “You create your time-stop by aligning your two selves, right? So for